Heartland Express Stock Analysis

HTLD Stock  USD 10.09  0.26  2.51%   
Below is the normalized historical share price chart for Heartland Express extending back to November 05, 1986. This chart has been adjusted for all splits and dividends and is plotted against all major global economic recessions. As of today, the current price of Heartland Express stands at 10.09, as last reported on the 1st of February, with the highest price reaching 10.22 and the lowest price hitting 9.84 during the day.
IPO Date
26th of March 1990
200 Day MA
8.6191
50 Day MA
9.264
Beta
1.124
 
Black Monday
 
Oil Shock
 
Dot-com Bubble
 
Housing Crash
 
Credit Downgrade
 
Yuan Drop
 
Covid
 
Interest Hikes
Heartland Express holds a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.091. At present, Heartland Express' Long Term Debt is projected to increase significantly based on the last few years of reporting. The current year's Long Term Debt Total is expected to grow to about 481.9 M, whereas Short Term Debt is forecasted to decline to about 12 M. Heartland Express' financial risk is the risk to Heartland Express stockholders that is caused by an increase in debt.

Asset vs Debt

Equity vs Debt

Heartland Express' liquidity is one of the most fundamental aspects of both its future profitability and its ability to meet different types of ongoing financial obligations. Heartland Express' cash, liquid assets, total liabilities, and shareholder equity can be utilized to evaluate how much leverage the Company is using to sustain its current operations. For traders, higher-leverage indicators usually imply a higher risk to shareholders. In addition, it helps Heartland Stock's retail investors understand whether an upcoming fall or rise in the market will negatively affect Heartland Express' stakeholders.
For most companies, including Heartland Express, marketable securities, inventories, and receivables are the most common assets that could be converted to cash. However, for Heartland Express, the most critical issue when managing liquidity is ensuring that current assets are properly aligned with current liabilities. If they are not, Heartland Express' management will need to obtain alternative financing to ensure there are always enough cash equivalents on the balance sheet to meet obligations.
Price Book
1.0335
Enterprise Value Ebitda
7.1948
Price Sales
0.8993
Shares Float
43.9 M
Dividend Share
0.08
At present, Heartland Express' Common Stock Shares Outstanding is projected to decrease significantly based on the last few years of reporting. The current year's Liabilities And Stockholders Equity is expected to grow to about 1.6 B, whereas Common Stock Total Equity is forecasted to decline to about 705.7 K. . At present, Heartland Express' Price To Operating Cash Flows Ratio is projected to slightly decrease based on the last few years of reporting. The current year's Price To Free Cash Flows Ratio is expected to grow to 30.64, whereas Price Earnings Ratio is projected to grow to (25.41).
Heartland Express is fairly valued with Real Value of 10.27 and Target Price of 9.3. The main objective of Heartland Express stock analysis is to determine its intrinsic value, which is an estimate of what Heartland Express is worth, separate from its market price. There are two main types of Heartland Express' stock analysis: fundamental analysis and technical analysis.
The Heartland Express stock is traded in the USA on NASDAQ Exchange, with the market opening at 09:30:00 and closing at 16:00:00 every Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri except for officially observed holidays in the USA. Here, you can get updates on important government artifacts, including earning estimates, SEC corporate filings, announcements, and Heartland Express' ongoing operational relationships across important fundamental and technical indicators.
Check out Risk vs Return Analysis to better understand how to build diversified portfolios, which includes a position in Heartland Express. Also, note that the market value of any company could be closely tied with the direction of predictive economic indicators such as signals in board of governors.
For information on how to trade Heartland Stock refer to our How to Trade Heartland Stock guide.

Heartland Stock Analysis Notes

About 40.0% of the company shares are held by company insiders. The company has price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 1.03. Some equities with similar Price to Book (P/B) outperform the market in the long run. Heartland Express has Price/Earnings To Growth (PEG) ratio of 2.23. The entity recorded a loss per share of 0.44. The firm last dividend was issued on the 26th of December 2025. Heartland Express had 4:3 split on the 16th of May 2006. Heartland Express, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a short-to-medium haul truckload carrier in the United States and Canada. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa. Heartland Express operates under Trucking classification in the United States and is traded on NASDAQ Exchange. It employs 3180 people. To learn more about Heartland Express call Michael Gerdin at 319 645 7060 or check out https://www.heartlandexpress.com.

Heartland Express Quarterly Total Revenue

196.55 Million

Heartland Express Investment Alerts

Many investors view ongoing market volatility as an opportunity to purchase more stocks at a favorable price or short it to generate a bearish trend profit opportunity. If you are one of those investors, make sure you clearly understand the position you are entering. Heartland Express' investment alerts are automatically generated signals that are significant enough to either complement your investing judgment regarding Heartland Express or challenge it. These alerts can help you understand what you are buying and avoid costly mistakes.
The company reported the previous year's revenue of 1.05 B. Net Loss for the year was (29.72 M) with profit before overhead, payroll, taxes, and interest of 235.67 M.
Heartland Express has a poor financial position based on the latest SEC disclosures
About 40.0% of the company shares are held by company insiders
On 7th of January 2026 Heartland Express paid $ 0.02 per share dividend to its current shareholders
Latest headline from stockstory.org: UMBF Q4 Deep Dive Heartland Integration and Organic Growth Drive Results

Heartland Largest EPS Surprises

Earnings surprises can significantly impact Heartland Express' stock price both in the short term and over time. Negative earnings surprises usually result in a price decline. However, it has been seen that positive earnings surprises lead to an immediate rise in a stock's price and a gradual increase over time. This is why we often hear news about some companies beating earning projections. Financial analysts spend a large amount of time predicting earnings per share (EPS) along with other important future indicators. Many analysts use forecasting models, management guidance, and additional fundamental information to derive an EPS estimate.
Reported
Fiscal Date
Estimated EPS
Reported EPS
Surprise
2025-10-28
2025-09-30-0.1-0.11-0.0110 
2003-04-17
2003-03-310.10.110.0110 
2002-07-17
2002-06-300.10.110.0110 
View All Earnings Estimates

Heartland Express Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Scores

Heartland Express' ESG score is a quantitative measure that evaluates Heartland Express' performance and commitment regarding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. These scores are becoming increasingly crucial in investment decision-making processes, providing insights into non-financial aspects of Heartland Express' operations that may have significant financial implications and affect Heartland Express' stock price as well as guide investors towards more socially responsible investments.

Heartland Stock Institutional Investors

Institutional investors include commercial and private banks, credit unions, insurance companies, pension funds, hedge funds, endowments, and mutual funds. Operating companies that invest excess capital in these types of assets may also be included in the term and may influence corporate governance by exercising voting rights in their investments.
Shares
Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management Llc2025-06-30
667.6 K
Bridgeway Capital Management, Llc2025-06-30
599.6 K
Amvescap Plc.2025-06-30
599.6 K
Two Sigma Advisers, Llc2025-06-30
550.9 K
Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc.2025-06-30
505 K
Northern Trust Corp2025-06-30
493.8 K
Bank Of New York Mellon Corp2025-06-30
448 K
Two Sigma Investments Llc2025-06-30
425.3 K
Renaissance Technologies Corp2025-06-30
405.8 K
Blackrock Inc2025-06-30
6.9 M
Vanguard Group Inc2025-06-30
4.8 M
Note, although Heartland Express' institutional investors appear to be way more sophisticated than retail investors, it remains unclear if professional active investment managers can reliably enhance risk-adjusted returns by an amount that exceeds fees and expenses.

Heartland Market Capitalization

The company currently falls under 'Small-Cap' category with a current market capitalization of 781.45 M.

Heartland Profitablity

The company has Profit Margin (PM) of (0.04) %, which may suggest that it does not properly executes on its current pricing strategies or is unable to control all of the operational costs. This is way below average. Similarly, it shows Operating Margin (OM) of (0.07) %, which suggests for every $100 dollars of sales, it generated a net operating loss of $0.07.
Last ReportedProjected for Next Year
Return On Tangible Assets(0.04)(0.04)
Return On Capital Employed(0.02)(0.02)
Return On Assets(0.03)(0.02)
Return On Equity(0.04)(0.04)

Management Efficiency

Heartland Express has return on total asset (ROA) of (0.0242) % which means that it has lost $0.0242 on every $100 spent on assets. This is way below average. Similarly, it shows a return on stockholder's equity (ROE) of (0.0435) %, meaning that it created substantial loss on money invested by shareholders. Heartland Express' management efficiency ratios could be used to measure how well Heartland Express manages its routine affairs as well as how well it operates its assets and liabilities. The current year's Return On Tangible Assets is expected to grow to -0.04. In addition to that, Return On Capital Employed is expected to decline to -0.02. At present, Heartland Express' Non Current Assets Total are projected to increase significantly based on the last few years of reporting. The current year's Total Current Assets is expected to grow to about 168.4 M, whereas Other Assets are projected to grow to (16.8 M).
Last ReportedProjected for Next Year
Book Value Per Share 9.40  9.87 
Tangible Book Value Per Share 4.65  2.34 
Enterprise Value Over EBITDA 5.98  4.46 
Price Book Value Ratio 1.23  1.17 
Enterprise Value Multiple 5.98  4.46 
Price Fair Value 1.23  1.17 
Enterprise Value1.3 B1.4 B
The decision-making processes within Heartland Express are key to its success in a competitive market. By evaluating these processes, we assess the stock's potential for future gains.
Dividend Yield
0.0077
Operating Margin
(0.07)
Profit Margin
(0.04)
Forward Dividend Yield
0.0077
Beta
1.124

Technical Drivers

As of the 1st of February, Heartland Express retains the risk adjusted performance of 0.125, and Market Risk Adjusted Performance of 0.1986. Heartland Express technical analysis makes it possible for you to employ historical prices and volume momentum with the intention to determine a pattern that calculates the direction of the firm's future prices. Please check out Heartland Express information ratio, and the relationship between the downside deviation and value at risk to decide if Heartland Express is priced fairly, providing market reflects its last-minute price of 10.09 per share. Given that Heartland Express has jensen alpha of 0.2946, we strongly advise you to confirm Heartland Express's regular market performance to make sure the company can sustain itself at a future point.

Heartland Express Price Movement Analysis

Incorrect Input. Please change your parameters or increase the time horizon required for running this function. The output start index for this execution was zero with a total number of output elements of zero. The Triple Exponential Moving Average (T3) indicator is developed by Tim Tillson as Heartland Express price series composite of a single exponential moving average, a double exponential moving average and a triple exponential moving average.

Heartland Express Insider Trading Activities

Some recent studies suggest that insider trading raises the cost of capital for securities issuers and decreases overall economic growth. Trading by specific Heartland Express insiders, such as employees or executives, is commonly permitted as long as it does not rely on Heartland Express' material information that is not in the public domain. Local jurisdictions usually require such trading to be reported in order to monitor insider transactions. In many U.S. states, trading conducted by corporate officers, key employees, directors, or significant shareholders must be reported to the regulator or publicly disclosed, usually within a few business days of the trade. In these cases Heartland Express insiders are required to file a Form 4 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) when buying or selling shares of their own companies.
 
David Millis over three months ago
Disposition of 29 shares by David Millis of Heartland Express at 8.37 subject to Rule 16b-3
 
Michael Gerdin over three months ago
Disposition of 3031683 shares by Michael Gerdin of Heartland Express subject to Rule 16b-3
 
Michael Gerdin over three months ago
Acquisition by Michael Gerdin of 3888 shares of Heartland Express at 8.2 subject to Rule 16b-3
 
Ann S. Gerdin Revocable Trust over six months ago
Acquisition by Ann S. Gerdin Revocable Trust of 985 shares of Heartland Express at 14.99 subject to Rule 16b-3
 
Michael Gerdin over six months ago
Acquisition by Michael Gerdin of 148272 shares of Heartland Express at 8.5024 subject to Rule 16b-3
 
Michael Gerdin over six months ago
Acquisition by Michael Gerdin of 148272 shares of Heartland Express at 7.8519 subject to Rule 16b-3
 
Ann S. Gerdin Revocable Trust over six months ago
Acquisition by Ann S. Gerdin Revocable Trust of 985 shares of Heartland Express at 14.99 subject to Rule 16b-3
 
Eickman Kris Eric over a year ago
Acquisition by Eickman Kris Eric of 1000 shares of Heartland Express subject to Rule 16b-3
 
David Millis over a year ago
Acquisition by David Millis of 8489 shares of Heartland Express at 11.57 subject to Rule 16b-3
 
Ann S. Gerdin Revocable Trust over a year ago
Discretionary transaction by Ann S. Gerdin Revocable Trust of tradable shares of Heartland Express subject to Rule 16b-3
 
Ann S. Gerdin Revocable Trust over a year ago
Acquisition by Ann S. Gerdin Revocable Trust of 429094 shares of Heartland Express subject to Rule 16b-3
 
Ann S. Gerdin Revocable Trust over a year ago
Acquisition by Ann S. Gerdin Revocable Trust of 49506 shares of Heartland Express at 12.2427 subject to Rule 16b-3

Heartland Express Outstanding Bonds

Heartland Express issues bonds to finance its operations. Corporate bonds make up one of the largest components of the U.S. bond market, which is considered the world's largest securities market. Heartland Express uses the proceeds from bond sales for a wide variety of purposes, including financing ongoing mergers and acquisitions, buying new equipment, investing in research and development, buying back their own stock, paying dividends to shareholders, and even refinancing existing debt. Most Heartland bonds can be classified according to their maturity, which is the date when Heartland Express has to pay back the principal to investors. Maturities can be short-term, medium-term, or long-term (more than ten years). Longer-term bonds usually offer higher interest rates but may entail additional risks.

Heartland Express Predictive Daily Indicators

Heartland Express intraday indicators are useful technical analysis tools used by many experienced traders. Just like the conventional technical analysis, daily indicators help intraday investors to analyze the price movement with the timing of Heartland Express stock daily movement. By combining multiple daily indicators into a single trading strategy, you can limit your risk while still earning strong returns on your managed positions.

Heartland Express Corporate Filings

13A
30th of January 2026
An amended filing to the original Schedule 13G
ViewVerify
8K
7th of January 2026
Report filed with the SEC to announce major events that shareholders should know about
ViewVerify
8K
19th of December 2025
Report filed with the SEC to announce major events that shareholders should know about
ViewVerify
8K
9th of December 2025
Report filed with the SEC to announce major events that shareholders should know about
ViewVerify
F4
3rd of December 2025
The report filed by a party regarding the acquisition or disposition of a company's common stock, as well as derivative securities such as options, warrants, and convertible securities
ViewVerify
10Q
10th of November 2025
Quarterly performance report mandated by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to be filed by publicly traded corporations
ViewVerify
8K
6th of November 2025
Report filed with the SEC to announce major events that shareholders should know about
ViewVerify
8K
30th of October 2025
Report filed with the SEC to announce major events that shareholders should know about
ViewVerify

Heartland Express Forecast Models

Heartland Express' time-series forecasting models are one of many Heartland Express' stock analysis techniques aimed at predicting future share value based on previously observed values. Time-series forecasting models ae widely used for non-stationary data. Non-stationary data are called the data whose statistical properties e.g. the mean and standard deviation are not constant over time but instead, these metrics vary over time. These non-stationary Heartland Express' historical data is usually called time-series. Some empirical experimentation suggests that the statistical forecasting models outperform the models based exclusively on fundamental analysis to predict the direction of the market movement and maximize returns from investment trading.

Heartland Express Bond Ratings

Heartland Express financial ratings play a critical role in determining how much Heartland Express have to pay to access credit markets, i.e., the amount of interest on their issued debt. The threshold between investment-grade and speculative-grade ratings has important market implications for Heartland Express' borrowing costs.
Piotroski F Score
4
PoorView
Beneish M Score
(2.99)
Unlikely ManipulatorView

Heartland Express Debt to Cash Allocation

Many companies such as Heartland Express, eventually find out that there is only so much market out there to be conquered, and adding the next product or service is only half as profitable per unit as their current endeavors. Eventually, the company will reach a point where cash flows are strong, and extra cash is available but not fully utilized. In this case, the company may start buying back its stock from the public or issue more dividends.
Heartland Express currently holds 208.61 M in liabilities with Debt to Equity (D/E) ratio of 0.09, which may suggest the company is not taking enough advantage from borrowing. Heartland Express has a current ratio of 2.29, suggesting that it is liquid enough and is able to pay its financial obligations when due. Note, when we think about Heartland Express' use of debt, we should always consider it together with its cash and equity.

Heartland Express Total Assets Over Time

Heartland Express Assets Financed by Debt

The debt-to-assets ratio shows the degree to which Heartland Express uses debt to finance its assets. It includes both long-term and short-term borrowings maturing within one year. It also includes both tangible and intangible assets, such as goodwill.

Heartland Express Debt Ratio

    
  8.8   
It looks as if most of the Heartland Express' assets are financed through equity. Typically, companies with high debt-to-asset ratios are said to be highly leveraged. The higher the ratio, the greater risk will be associated with the Heartland Express' operation. In addition, a high debt-to-assets ratio may indicate a low borrowing capacity of Heartland Express, which in turn will lower the firm's financial flexibility.

Heartland Express Corporate Bonds Issued

Most Heartland bonds can be classified according to their maturity, which is the date when Heartland Express has to pay back the principal to investors. Maturities can be short-term, medium-term, or long-term (more than ten years). Longer-term bonds usually offer higher interest rates but may entail additional risks.

Heartland Short Long Term Debt Total

Short Long Term Debt Total

133.71 Million

At present, Heartland Express' Short and Long Term Debt Total is projected to increase significantly based on the last few years of reporting.

About Heartland Stock Analysis

Stock analysis is the technique used by a trader or investor to examine and evaluate how Heartland Express prices is reacting to, or reflecting on a current market direction and economic conditions. It can be used to make informed decisions about market timing, and when buying or selling Heartland shares will generate the highest return on investment. We also built our stock analysis module to help investors to gain an insight into the world economy as a whole, the stock market, thematic ideas. a specific sector, or an individual Stock such as Heartland Express. By using and applying Heartland Stock analysis, traders can create a robust methodology for identifying Heartland entry and exit points for their positions.
Last ReportedProjected for Next Year
Pretax Profit Margin(0.04)(0.04)
Operating Profit Margin(0.02)(0.02)
Net Loss(0.03)(0.03)
Gross Profit Margin 0.04  0.04 

Current Heartland Analysis - Recommendations

We track the performance of the top 100 financial experts across various large and mid-size financial boutiques. Heartland analyst recommendations are determined by taking all analyst recommendations and averaging them as Strong Buy, Buy, Hold, Strong Sell or Sell. There is no one specific way to measure analysis performance other than comparing it to the past results via a very sophisticated attribution analysis. Heartland analyst consensus and target price projections should be used in combination with other traditional techniques such as stock price forecasting, technical analysis, earnings estimate, and various momentum models.
Target PriceAdvice# of Analysts
9.3Hold5Odds
Heartland Express current and past analyst recommendations published by a number of research institutions as well as average analyst consensus.
Most Heartland analysts issue ratings four times a year, at intervals of three months. Ratings are usually accompanied by a target price to helps potential investors understand Heartland stock's fair price compared to its market value. Analysts arrive at stock ratings after researching public financial statements of Heartland Express, talking to its executives and customers, or listening to Heartland conference calls.
Heartland Analyst Advice Details

Heartland Stock Analysis Indicators

Heartland Express stock analysis indicators help investors evaluate how Heartland Express stock reacts to ongoing and evolving market conditions. The investors can use it to make informed decisions about market timing and determine when trading Heartland Express shares will generate the highest return on investment. By understating and applying Heartland Express stock analysis, traders can identify Heartland Express position entry and exit signals to maximize returns.
Begin Period Cash Flow41.2 M
Long Term Debt191.7 M
Common Stock Shares Outstanding78.8 M
Total Stockholder Equity822.6 M
Total Cashflows From Investing Activities-46.5 M
Tax Provision-7 M
Quarterly Earnings Growth Y O Y-0.661
Property Plant And Equipment Net772.3 M
Cash And Short Term Investments12.8 M
Cash12.8 M
Accounts Payable35.4 M
Net Debt195.8 M
50 Day M A9.264
Total Current Liabilities119.6 M
Other Operating Expenses1.1 B
Non Current Assets Total1.2 B
Forward Price Earnings21.0526
Non Currrent Assets Other2.2 M
Stock Based CompensationM

Complementary Tools for Heartland Stock analysis

When running Heartland Express' price analysis, check to measure Heartland Express' market volatility, profitability, liquidity, solvency, efficiency, growth potential, financial leverage, and other vital indicators. We have many different tools that can be utilized to determine how healthy Heartland Express is operating at the current time. Most of Heartland Express' value examination focuses on studying past and present price action to predict the probability of Heartland Express' future price movements. You can analyze the entity against its peers and the financial market as a whole to determine factors that move Heartland Express' price. Additionally, you may evaluate how the addition of Heartland Express to your portfolios can decrease your overall portfolio volatility.
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